U3 ASSIGNMENT

The acknowledgments differ from the dedication in one significant way: The acknowledgements recognize individuals who have supported the writer’s scholarly efforts as they relate to the doctoral manuscript or who have held a role in the writer’s academic career as it relates to the research of the manuscript. This might mean your mentor and committee members, doctoral advisor, online or colloquia faculty, and other support people from Capella or other organizations. If you received financial support from fellowships, grants, or other organizational support, it should be noted in this section.

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With globalization becoming more popular in the business environment, many organizations and businesses are heavily relying on supply chain systems to facilitate interconnectivity between businesses and their potential markets. Therefore, proper supply chain management is extremely critical in business operations especially for those companies or organizations with global operations. According to the research done by the London School of Business and Finance in 2018 on the role of efficient supply chain management in enhancing business reliability, efficiency, flexibility, and customer satisfaction, the following was established one was that many giant companies like Amazon Inc. and Walmart heavily rely on streamlining their supply chain to remain competitive in the customer-oriented market. Moreover, the business philanthropist Warren Buffet argued during an interview with the New York Times that more technologies are needed to increase supply chain efficiency since it holds the future of many businesses that rely on it to expand their global operations (Sorkin, 2020). Hence, there is a need to come up with business and tech-oriented strategies to improve the efficiency of many global supply chain systems. Currently, many SMEs are finding it hard to remain competitive in the global market due to the high cost of business operations because complex supply chain systems make business transactions time-consuming. Consequently, integration of technologies like Enterprise Resource Planning and data analytics in the supply chain system holds a breakthrough for businesses and is likely to influence global operations of many businesses positively (Lamba & Singh, 2017). And if streamlining of supply chain networks is not done, businesses face incurring the high cost of managing business operations coupled with a reduction in revenues.

Companies should seek to finesse their supply chain management system to reduce costs and liabilities. Efficient supply chain management systems improve the negotiating power of companies to acquire better products in the shortest time possible.

Supply chain management improvement is a major competitive advantage for companies today. Upon the introduction of supply chain management in 1980 (Dixit, 2018), key business operations were integrated i.e. from original suppliers to the end-users. However, times have changed, and competitors have also incorporated supply chain management systems in their organizations. Hence, there is a need to gain a competitive advantage by finessing the current supply chain management processes. The specialization of this DBA is the improvement of the supply chain management system to reduce costs and liabilities in the companies. According to Dixit, some companies are still using the traditional supply chain management method which focuses only on the flow of materials in the organization. There are key processes in supply chain management that can be improved. Supply chain activities like logistics, sourcing, product development, and information systems all have the potential to be improved into efficient processes. The project's focus is increasing a company’s revenue by reducing the costs incurred in the numerous supply chain processes. It is possible to increase profits without having to increase sales. This tactic is executed through the intricate management of all phases in the supply chain of the company. This project focuses on the DBA by aligning the various tactics that company stakeholders can use to minimize problems in the supply chain. The minimization of supply chain issues is related to the improvement of the supply chain activities/processes which reduces costs and increases company revenue and profits (Papadopoulos, Zamer, Gayialis, Tatsiopoulos, 2016).

1.2.1 Problem of Practice

Supply chain management is one area where companies are losing a lot of revenues due to complexity in the supply chain procedures that leads to an increase in the cost of doing business (Meredith & Shafer, 2019). Problems in the supply chain may not be that easy to spot. There are minimal issues with the conversion process in supply chain management. However, the majority of problems in the supply chain are located in the different interfaces of different functions and parties involved in the supply chain. The supply chain is characterized by problems like difficulties in identifying customer-specific needs. There are also long procedures in some supply chains when discussing change. Long procedures lead to time wastage in the implementation of a better option in the supply chain (Papadopoulos, Zamer, Gayialis, Tatsiopoulos, 2016). This indicates that the company will continue to lose revenue in the time wasted. Improvements in such an activity in the supply chain will lead to reduced costs and increased revenue for the business. The use of inaccurate data in the business along the supply chain will affect all the supply chain activities and the business as a whole. This is an interface issue that affects procurement and vendor sectors in the business. Company stakeholders and supply chain teams failing to avail for work is also an issue that could have detrimental effects on the revenue of the organization (Su, et al, 2016). Finding solutions to absenteeism by improving supply chain processes will reduce costs that could have been used to pay replacement staff or pay other workers overtime. Failure to obtain the licenses needed for various supply chain activities could lead to fines which account for unwanted costs. Safety problems or quality issues could lead to problematic completion of the supply chain activities. Other supply chain issues like delivery failures, long stoppage periods, or failure to follow the stipulated design in the delivery of the product all lead to unwanted costs. (Lamba, Singh, 2017). The main agenda will involve identifying the loophole in the supply chain and implementing ways to fix it. Controlling and improving the supply chain follows an integrated value-generating flow as opposed to fixing a few individual activities in the supply chain. Improvement of the supply chain should be a continuous process. The business platform is continuously changing with new rules of engagement being applied. Hence, older supply chain methods, activities, and procedures could be rendered obsolete. The incorporation of IT in the supply chain improvement agenda is one of the ways to ensure the company stays above competitors in the market (Dixit, 2018).

1.3 Purpose of the Project

This project aims to identify the various improvements that can be made to supply chain activities to reduce costs and increasing revenue and profits. Below are the project needs and questions that will be addressed during the project.

To find a feasible solution to inefficient supply chain management in companies. Companies are dealing with immense competition in the industry today. Deficient supply chain systems have prevented most of these companies from getting ahead of the pack because they do not realize the required profits of the organization. Neither do they have efficient supply chain management systems to help ease their daily processes. There is a need to enable such companies with the skills and information on how to improve their supply chain processes. Empowered companies can reach the height of the top-notch companies in the industry (Dixit, 2018). Top companies in the industry have proficient professionals who have mastered the art of finessing most of the supply chain activities and transitions in their company.

Such companies can offer quality products and services to customers at little cost and losses from their supply chain. This project is achievable in the stipulated time because of the following reasons. There are sufficient companies nearby that will provide the researcher with the required data for developing a way these companies can reduce costs incurred in their supply chain systems (Dixit, 2018). The project objective is to lower the costs of the supply chain in a company to increase the company’s revenue and profits. This can be done by identifying and improving deficient supply chain activities and different interfaces of the parties involved and functions in the supply chain ((Papadopoulos, Zamer, Gayialis, Tatsiopoulos, 2016). Based on this need of finding a feasible solution to the inefficient supply chain systems in companies, the following project question can be evoked.

How will the interview of company personnel help achieve the project objective of lowering the costs of the supply chain in the company?

Supply chain management is a vital component of business operations today. Efficient supply chain management improves communications, business networks, and relationships with suppliers, and helps to avoid delays in shipping or logistical errors. Good supply chain management also reduces inventory costs and improves the planning, and efficiency of the company’s operations. Poor supply chain management will lead to poor products and eventually bad customer service/satisfaction. Efficient supply chain management will help deliver the company from the shadow of competitors by improving the production process (Su, et al, 2016).

Rapid information transfer in the supply chain of the company is key. Companies can utilize the strategic advantage of real-time information to assess the current stand of the market and adjust their supply chain accordingly (Dixit, 2018). For example, information gathered on the demand for the products of a company will affect the procurement of raw materials needed to produce these products. An inefficient supply chain management system will lack such characteristics of real-time information transfer between the parties involved. This causes the company to undergo losses when they overproduce or underproduce products (Nair, Reed‐Tsochas, 2019). Cisco reportedly saved over $500 million when they reconstructed their internal operations and integrated its operations with customers and suppliers (Dixit, 2018).

This project will major on the small and medium enterprises and their supply chain management systems. Small and medium enterprises play an important role in the economic realm of today. SMEs are a major impact on the development of national economies around the world and the global economy as well. Small and medium enterprises are defined based on their quantitative criteria, qualitative criteria, or both. The staff headcount and turnover of the SMEs are used to identify them in these criteria (Kot, 2018). For small and medium enterprises to compete in their industrial sectors, they must have efficient supply chain management systems. However, most small, and medium enterprises experience dissonant goals in their supply chains. There are arises scenarios of uncertainties in supply and demand when there is poor coordination between the SME partners in the supply chain. This project seeks to address such instances in small and medium enterprises. Effective strategies that can be applied to deal with poor coordination between partners include integrating customers, distributors, suppliers, and producers. This will guide the long-term action of SMEs. SMEs should incorporate the art of sharing information in real-time throughout the supply chain. This will enhance the absorbency of the supply chain in the company. All partners in the organization need to be up to date with real-time information and supply it throughout the chain accordingly. Small and medium enterprises will be the key focus of the project.

There are various benefits that small and medium enterprises gain from improvement in their supply chains. Small and medium enterprises experience high-quality products, lower costs in the supply chain processes, improved customer service, and reduced risks in the supply chain of SME. The main aim of this project is to assist small and medium enterprises to achieve reduced costs in their supply chain which will help them attain improved revenue and profits. However, other side benefits of improving supply chain management in small and medium enterprises include improved service, higher product quality, shortened product development, and higher market participation (Genovese, Acquaye, Figueroa, Koh, 2017).

This section of the project dissects the importance of the project to business practice and practitioners in this field. Additionally, the approach to the project is also expanded on in this section. This involves the techniques used to complete the project.

Deficiency in the management of the supply chain in small and medium enterprises has its penalties as well as advantages. The problem depicted in this project is the high costs that result from poor supply chain interfaces. In general, the project is important because it will provide a feasible solution to the plight of small and medium enterprises of incurring losses from their supply chain. Stakeholders in small and medium enterprises influence the achievement of goals according to their competency (Rebs et al, 2018) Practitioners undergo a beneficial process that results from efficient supply chain management in the following ways. They attain their economic objectives by advocating for sustainability in their supply chains. The problem identified in this project will illuminate the various stakeholders of small and medium enterprises who undertake these activities daily. This project will act as a training program that can be used as a literature to help SMEs understand how their supply chain procedures can be improved. The problems and challenges that motivate the development of this project include cost increases for small and medium enterprises. This accelerates the losses incurred by the company. Moreover, the small and medium enterprise loses its competitive advantage in the market when its supply chain is not as efficient. Sectors of the supply chain likely to incur such losses include inventory, manufacturing, and distribution amongst the majority of the supply chain touchpoints (Rebs et al, 2018). This project provides small and medium enterprises with the opportunity to overcome and address these challenges in the supply chain. Small and medium enterprises have the potential to be like large companies in the same market. Hence, this project is significant in helping small and medium enterprises improve their supply chain processes and reduce costs.

The major data collection method of this project will be from online sources such as journals, peer-reviewed articles, and scholarly articles. These scholarly articles will provide essential information from other historians and peers relating to supply chain management and small and medium enterprises. Additionally, questionnaires and interviews will be used to collect vital information from the operators in small and medium enterprises who come into contact with the supply chain daily. This data collection procedure will occur systematically. The relevance of this is it will help in keeping the researcher focused on the objectives of the project and the project question. It is also easy to analyze the outcomes later on in the analysis phase. The interview used in data collection will help the researcher obtain detailed information from the stakeholders involved in the supply chain. Personal feelings can also be identified through the use of interviews and this will help the researcher identify how the stakeholders react to different supply chain processes and procedures. Additionally, the researcher can ask more detailed questions during the interview whom answers cannot be found on the internet e.g. the opinion of stakeholders in the small and medium enterprises about the supply chain. Questionnaires are an efficient way of getting information from a large number of people. Additionally, questionnaires provide anonymity that may not be present in interviews for stakeholders who would like their identity withheld. Collected data needs to analyze before it can be used to form conclusions. Data analysis will be conducted using qualitative research and quantitative research. Quantitative research will entail the use of surveys while qualitative research will entail the use of questionnaires and interviews to analyze the relevant data. These data collection procedures are workable because they are easy to administer and analyze. The possible barriers to data collection that may be encountered during this data collection procedure include poor quality control, budget constraints for the project, issues that may arise with logistics, overload due to lack of enough personnel to conduct the interview and questionnaires, and lack of sufficient equipment and facilities.

This DBA project will specialize in improving the supply chain management system to reduce costs and liabilities in the companies. The project's focus is increasing a company’s revenue by reducing the costs incurred in the numerous supply chain processes. The minimization of supply chain issues is related to the improvement of the supply chain activities/processes which reduces costs and increases company revenue and profits (Papadopoulos, Zamer, Gayialis, Tatsiopoulos, 2016). However, the majority of problems in the supply chain are located in the different interfaces of different functions and parties involved in the supply chain. There are also long procedures in some supply chains when discussing change. Long procedures lead to time wastage in the implementation of a better option in the supply chain (Papadopoulos, Zamer, Gayialis, Tatsiopoulos, 2016). The incorporation of IT in the supply chain improvement agenda is one of the ways to ensure the company stays above competitors in the market (Dixit, 2018). Deficient supply chain systems have prevented most of these companies from getting ahead of the pack because they do not realize the required profits of the organization. Efficient supply chain management improves communications, business networks, and relationships with suppliers, and helps to avoid delays in shipping or logistical errors. Good supply chain management also reduces inventory costs and improves the planning, and efficiency of the company’s operations. Section two of this DBA project will cover the literature review and project plan. The content of the second section includes the applied frameworks and data collection techniques, and historic business trends, among others. The third section of this project includes the results, discussions, and implications. Discussed in this section includes data collection results and data analysis, among others. This project will follow a defined project schedule to ensure that all project activities are completed on time. Supply chain improvement for small and medium businesses is an efficient means to ensure the reduction of costs and increase the competitive advantage of SMEs.

2.3.1.1. Potential additional section header.

2.6.1.1. Preliminary sources of data expected. [Text starts here].

2.6.1.2. Instrumentation and data collection tools.

[Note to learners: The project’s sections 1 to 2.13 will be revised into past tense after you conduct the study and write Section 3. Delete.].

[References may be single-spaced. Use the ruler to create a hanging indent or apply the “APA reference list” style. References should be APA styled (based on Capella’s current edition implemented). All article issue numbers should be included, regardless of APA edition in use. Leave one blank space between entries.]

Dixit, V. K. (2018). Importance of IT in Supply Chain Management Improvement.

Genovese, A., Acquaye, A. A., Figueroa, A., & Koh, S. L. (2017). Sustainable supply chain management and the transition towards a circular economy: Evidence and some applications. Omega, 66, 344-357.

Kot S., (2018) Sustainable Supply Chain Management in Small and Medium Enterprises MDPI

Lamba, K., & Singh, S. P. (2017). Big data in operations and supply chain management: current trends and future perspectives. Production Planning & Control, 28(11-12), 877-890.

Meredith, J. R., & Shafer, S. M. (2019). Operations and supply chain management for MBAs. Wiley.

Nair, A., & Reed‐Tsochas, F. (2019). Revisiting the complex adaptive systems paradigm: leading perspectives for researching operations and supply chain management issues. Journal of Operations Management, 65(2), 80-92.

Papadopoulos, G. A., Zamer, N., Gayialis, S. P., & Tatsiopoulos, I. P. (2016). Supply chain improvement in construction industry. Universal Journal of Management, 4(10), 528-534.

Rebs T., et al, (2018) Stakeholder influences and risks in sustainable supply chain management: a comparison of qualitative and quantitative studies Business Research vol1 197-237

Sorkin R., (2020). Warren Buffett’s Optimistic? Pessimistic? No, Realistichttps://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/03/business/dealbook/warren-buffett-berkshire-hathaway.html

Su, C. M., Horng, D. J., Tseng, M. L., Chiu, A. S., Wu, K. J., & Chen, H. P. (2016). Improving sustainable supply chain management using a novel hierarchical grey-DEMATEL approach. Journal of Cleaner Production, 134, 469-481.

Volkoff, O. (2020). Configuring an ERP system: introducing best practices or hampering flexibility? Journal of Information Systems Education, 14(3), 14.

Please include all instruments, permissions, and other important documentation here [as determined by your instructor, mentor, or committee members] until final Dean review, at which time they should be removed. Learner-created interview protocols, surveys, or other original documentation should remain for Dean review and final submission.

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